Are you driving around with a damaged car?

I'm talking about clipping, bumping or hitting something, like the kerb, with our vehicles. While often awkward and sometimes alarming, it depends on how intense the unscheduled impact between car and object was, as to whether you drive away seemingly unscathed or need a tow.

Thankfully, most of the time it's just a slight graze and we head off without a second thought. However, this doesn't automatically mean all is okay with the vehicle and, in the interest of safety, you should have a professional inspect it to see if there's anything to be concerned about.

The process of looking over your vehicle may include a wheel alignment check, which is a good idea especially if it's been a while since they were last examined.

Wheels only need to be out by a small amount before they start wearing your tyres unevenly. Even better, a thorough examination might identify something bent or damaged as a result of the unfortunate 'kerbside clean-up'.

Modern vehicles are quite robust and can tolerate most of what daily driving can throw at them, but from time to time incidents do happen and if you're unsure if damage has occurred, it's better to be safe than sorry and take it to a professional.

If you have done some serious damage, it could be a whole lot more embarrassing if left unchecked.